Aftermath
by KrissyKat91
Summary: Things that happened, things that didn't happen, things that should have happened, and the aftereffects thereof. COMPLETE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. I'LL GET BACK TO IT EVENTUALLY.


KrissyKat91: (First in a series of one-shots.) This was written because I wasn't satisfied with the end if Ultra Galaxy Legend. The first part is sort of a dramatic retelling of the scene in which Zero first shows up sans armor, and pulls away from the movie after that. Also, I watched it on Youtube with English subs, so if any quoted lines aren't accurate it isn't my fault. I know maybe ten very basic words in Japanese and half of them are numbers.

* * *

Ch. 1: Ultra Galaxy Legend

Zero rocketed out of the wormhole he'd taken from Planet King, tightly clutching Ultraseven's Eye Slugger in one hand.

To think the one who had banished him from the Land of Light was his father; it was mind boggling. But, never mind. He'd demand answers later. The Monster Graveyard was in sight. Already Zero could see the massive crowd of monsters—along with Beliel, who was gloating if his body language was anything to go by—surrounding a small group of battered Ultras.

There was Ultraman, trying and failing to push himself up.

There was that new guy—what was his name? Mebius?—propped up on his elbows, his color timer flashing its alarm.

There was an Ultra he'd had never seen before, colored similarly to Zero himself, though he seemed to be a blue-lilac color where Zero was straight blue. He was swaying on his feet, but his timer was not yet red.

Then he saw him.

 _No._

Ultraseven, sprawled face down on the ground.

 _No!_

He wasn't moving.

 _Father!_

Zero barely even registered the attack he sent at Beliel and his monsters as he passed them. All he cared about was getting his father to safety. Scooping the older Ultra into his arms, Zero took off again, heading for the top of one of the rock formations that littered the Graveyard.

As he lowered Ultraseven to the ground, the other Ultra stirred, quietly groaning. His eyes brightened a bit, then focused on Zero. A flicker of recognition flashed through his gaze, and he shakily lifted a hand, as if to touch Zero's face.

"…My son…" he whispered. "…You're all… grown up…"

For an instant their minds connected, and Zero was stunned by the depths of unconditional love he found there. Then there was only cold emptiness as Ultraseven's hand fell limp at his side, his eyes completely dark.

For a few seconds Zero just crouched there, struggling to comprehend the fact that he had lost the father he'd only just found. Then he placed the Eye Slugger on Ultraseven's chest, placing his hand over it.

"Who are you?!" a harsh voice snarled from somewhere behind and below him.

 _Beliel,_ he thought as he stood, fists clenched against the tide of grief and fury rising within him. _You… will pay for this._

"Zero!" he shouted, spinning around to face his enemy. "Ultraman Zero! Son of Seven!"

 _By my own hands, you will pay!_

* * *

Zero smiled faintly as he watched his people go about their daily lives, all obviously relieved for the whole catastrophe to be over. The smile faded, however, as a young family walked past him, cooing at a giggling infant held in its mother's arms. While heartwarming to anyone else, the sight only served to remind Zero of what he had lost.

"Zero!"

Jumping slightly, Zero turned to see Astra, Leo's brother, skid to a stop in front of him, panting heavily.

"Astra? What's wrong?"

"You…" the native of L77 gasped, hands on his knees. "Silver Cross… Ultraseven…"

Zero flinched. "Astra, he's—"

He was cut off as Astra regained enough of his breath to shout, "He's still alive!"

"WHAT?!"

* * *

"Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry!"

Multiple Ultras gaped in shock as Zero haphazardly made his way through the Silver Cross Corps. headquarters, ducking and dodging around healer and patient alike. Reaching the Emergency Recovery room Astra had said Ultraseven had been taken to, the young Ultra wasn't surprised to see Ultraman, Zoffy, Leo, Ace and Taro waiting in the hall. What _did_ surprise him was that the Father of Ultra was there as well.

"U-um…"

"Ah, Zero," Zoffy said, looking up from his conversation with Ultraman. "I see Astra found you." He paused. "Where is Astra?"

He was answered as Astra himself staggered in behind Zero.

"Astra?!" Leo squawked, rushing to his brother. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Zero…" he wheezed, "…is very…fast!"

The other Ultras chuckled, whilst Zero shifted uncomfortably. Finally he summoned the nerve to ask, "How is fa—um, Ultraseven?"

"It's alright to call him your father, Zero," the Father of Ultra said, smiling kindly. "We all know your relation to him."

"Yes sir." Zero mentally kicked himself. Since when was he so timid?

 _Since I realized the Supreme Commander of the entire freaking Space Garrison was standing directly in front of me!_

Said Supreme Commander tilted his head. "It seems, however, that you are unaware of your relation to me."

The resulting "Huh?!" got another spate of laughter from the group.

"Your late grandmother was my wife's sister. You are my great nephew, at least by marriage."

Zero _tried_ to formulate a response. He really did. But before he could get over the shock and get his brain kickstarted again, the door to Ultraseven's room opened, and an exhausted looking Mother of Ultra came out. Instantly, all humor fled.

"Well?" the Father of Ultra asked. "How is he?"

"He's alive," she said, sighing tiredly. "But if he had been brought in even a few moments later, it would have been too late. As it is, it's going to take a month or more for him to recover. All our healers are stretched so thinly right now, to heal him completely would take more energy than any of us currently have to spare."

"Understandable. Are you allowing visitors?"

"He has yet to awaken, so only family for now."

The Father of Ultra nodded, then his hands blurred, snagging Taro by the horn and Ace by the crest as they tried to dart past him. "The two of you," he informed his sons flatly, "can wait your turn." So saying, he nodded at Zero.

The young Ultra swallowed silently, then entered the room, the closing door cutting off the sound of the Father of Ultra quietly asking his wife if _she_ was alright.

Standing with his back pressed against the door, Zero took in the sight in front of him.

Ultraseven was laying on a recovery bed, a thin tube connected to his forehead feeding light energy directly into his beam lamp. His eyes, though no longer dark, were not glowing very brightly at all, showing that he was unconscious.

Zero took a few steps forward, then stopped, the full impact of the last few hours (had it really only been hours? It felt like days) suddenly slamming into him. This… this was his _father._ This was the person he'd longed to meet his whole life, the person who by all rights should have been taking care of him after his mother died, the person who had just left him to be forgotten in an orphanage until he'd decided to go and make something of himself. A familiar surge of anger rose within him, then faded. He was so sick of being angry.

"Father," he murmured, plopping into a nearby chair. "Please wake up. I have so many questions, so many things that I want—that I _need_ to say. And… I need to know… why? Why weren't you ever there? Why did I never know who you were? Why did you abandon Mother and I? Just… just _why?"_

But of course, there was no answer.

Sighing heavily, Zero leaned forward in his chair, suddenly feeling drained. It had been a long day, and the day was only half over. Maybe he would just rest here for a little while. He probably wasn't going to find a quieter place any time soon.

When the Father of Ultra poked his head into the room a few minutes later, it was to see Zero slumped over on the bed, head cradled on his folded arms, dead to the world. Giving a slightly melancholy smile, the older Ultra closed the door.

* * *

The feel of someone gently shaking his shoulder was what woke Zero up. At first, he wasn't sure where he was or what was going on, then the memories of the day came rushing back. Sitting up, he shook his head free of sleep, then looked up to see who was shaking him.

Gazing back at him, looking bone tired but glad to see him, was Ultraseven.

For a long moment father and son just stared at each other, one smiling, the other gaping. Then Ultraseven silently opened his arms, into which Zero promptly flung himself. There would be time for questions, answers, and probably some shouting later (a lifetime of hurt, anger and confusion didn't go away in a day after all). For now, all that mattered was that they were alive, and they were together. For now, that was enough.


End file.
